Driving mechanism for washing machines



A. W. KRAHN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Svwevnloz April 29, 1924.

A. W. KRAHN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Dec. 30. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IXMMM Patented Apr. 29, 192 1..

OFFICE.

ALVIN w. KRAHDLOF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGN'OB, BY mnsim ASSIGNMENTS, '10 summm ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or nvmsvnm, INDIANA,

A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

' DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACKINES.

Application med December 30, 1919. Serial 190. 348,361.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALVIN W. KRAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and btate of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for \Vashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to driving mechanism for washing machines of the oscillatory drum type.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means, whereby an oscillatory actuator swinging independently ofthe drum about an axis which coincides with that of the drum, may, by a manually adjustable device, be set to automatically engage the drum in such a manner as to not only avoid excessive strains in the transmitting mechanism, and overloads onthe motor, and also relieve the operator of the necessity for care or skill in effectiflg the connection, since the required manual adiustmcnt merely places the parts in position for engagement and allows the actual connection to be subsequently made with that invariability and certainty as to time and pressure incident to automatically acting couplings.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby the actuator may be manually disconnected from the'drum and the latter automatically locked in a so-called' upright position, viz, with the drum door or lid at the top or nearly so, to facilitate the insertion or removal of its contents.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which 7 Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a washing machine and driving mechanism with parts omitted for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

The washing machine comprises a drum 1 which is adapted to oscillate a fraction of a turn about an axis 2 which receives its motion from a reciprocatory pitman 3 driven from a crank which, in turn, receives its motion thru a gear train from an electric or other type of motor 4. The motor 4 is mounted adjacent the base of the machine and drives the pinion 5 which in turn drives means of a compression sprin the gear 6 upon the shaft 7, on which shaft the crank for operating the pitman 3 is mounted. A smaller gear 8 is mounted upon the shaft 7 and serves'to transmit the power of the motor to the wrin er mechanism by the gears 8, 9, 10 an 11, and the vertical shaft 12.

The pitman 3 does not connect directly with the drum 1, but is connected with a segment 13 pivoted at 14 to the frame of the machine. The segment 13 has internal teeth which engage with the external teeth of a segmental gear 15 which is mounted to loosely rock upon the axle of the drum 1. The segmental gear 15 has an outwardl V and downwardly extending arm 16 to which is pivoted a latch 17.

The drum 1 has an X-shaped bracing member 18. On the lower portion of this bracing member 18, lugs 19 are secured I which carry between them compression springs 20. These springs 20 hear at one end against the lugs 19 and at their inner ends against a coupling member 21, which is adapted to slide upon a pin 22 passing thru this member and thru the springs 20. The member 21 is provided with upper and lower lugs 23 which are adapted to engage respectively under certain conditions, the notches 24 formed in the latch 17, and 25 formed in a pawl 26 pivoted at 27 to the frame of the machine. The latch 17 and the pawl 26 are under the control of the operator thru the medium of a hand controlled lever 28 which is pivoted to the frame at 29. This, lever is adapted to be locked in either of its two positions by 30 carried upon a pin 31 which is pivota ly and slidably connected to the frame at 32 and pivotally connected to the lever 28 at 33. It will be seen that when the lever is in its lowest position as shown that the compression spring will tend to hold such lever in this position as its thrust is on a line passing below the pivot point 29 of the lever 28. When the lever 28 is moved to its upper position the compression spring then acts along a line passing above the pivot point 29 and therefore locks the lever at its upper position. The lever 28 carries at one end a handle 34 and at its other end two rods 35 and 40. The rod 35 has a stop 36 formed thereon against which a compression spring 37 bears. This rod passes freely thru a lug 38 formed on the member 17 and is provided with a stop 39 at a point beyond such lug. The rod 40 similarly carries a compression spring 41 which bears at one end against a stop formed upon the rod 40 and at its other end against a lug 42 formed in the pawl 26. The rod 40 freely passes thru the lug 42 and is provided with a lower stop 43 to engage such lug.

It will thus be seen that when the motor is operated the members 13 and 15 will oscillate about their axes, but will not drive the drum 1 in the position shown in Fig. 1. If, however, the lever 28 is moved to its upper position, the spring 41 is compressed and the pawl 26 is disengaged from the member 21 and at the same time the latch 17 engages the member 21 thru the medium of the lug 23 and notch 24. The drum 1 is now operatively connected with the driving mechanism and is oscillated about the axis 2 by means of the reciprocatory motion imparted to the latch 17 by means of the arm 16, segment 15, member 13, and so on thru the train of driving mechanism. However, it will be noted that the member 21 is resiliently held with reference to the drum 1 and therefore interposes in the driving train a resilient connection between such train and the drum 1 whereby sudden shocks are prevented and the strains due to the inertia of the drum 1 when it is started and stopped and other unusual conditions are minimized because all of the shocks are carried or absorbed by the springs 20. When it is desired to stop the operation of the drum 1 and lock it in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lever 28 is moved downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1. This movement of the lever releases the latch 17 from engagement with the member 21 and allows the pawl 26 to engage such member 21, thereby disconnecting the drum 1 from the driving mechanism and locking such drum against movement. It will be observed that the latch 17 constitutes with the arm 16 an oscillatory actuator for the drum which may swing independently thereof on the same axis, and the latch 17 is resiliently supported and provided with downwardly converging bearing surfaces 46 leading to the interposed notch 24. The arrangement is such that when the latch is adjusted in coupling position either of the bearing surfaces may be in a position to bear upon the lug 23 projecting upwardly from theresiliently cushioned coupling member 21. The latch 17 being adapted to yieldagainst the resistance of spring 37, it thus allows the engaged bearing surface to slide along lug 23 until the latch notch 24 registers with the lug 23 whereupon the spring 37 pushes the latch downwardly with a quick positive motion to effect the coupling. This action is automatic, invariable in speed, and wholly independent of the rate of movement of the manually operated lever 28 which is, therefore. merely an adjusting lever as distinguished from the coupling levers heretofore generally employed.

It is desirable that the lug 23 be finally engaged in a deeper portion 47 of the notch 24 within which it fits with suflicient accuracy to avoid detrimental free movements of the actuator and resulting shocks when the motion is reversed at the end of each stroke. But on the other hand, a close fitting lug might not be received in coupling position if the notched portion of latch 17 moved across it at the full speed of the intermediate portion of the stroke. I therefore make the outer portion of the notch 24 long enough to insure its reception of the lug 23, and then provide the central recess 47 of but slightly greater dimensions than the lug, and in which the final coupling operation is made. The elongated portion of the notch loosely receives the coupling lug 23 initially, and if the lug 23 fails to enter the deeper portion of the notch immediately, it will enter it during the initial reversing movement of the actuator, said initial movement of the actuator being sufficiently slow at such times to permit the latch 17 to invariably receive the lug 23 in full coupling position in recess 47.

I claim 1. A washing machine comprising an oscillatory drum, shock absorbing means mounted upon said drum, driving mechanism, locking means, and controlled means for selectively engaging either said driving mechanism or said locking means with said shock absorbing means, whereby said drum is either driven or locked without violent shocks being imparted to said drum.

2. The combination with an oscillatory washin drum, of an oscillatory actuator adapte to swing upon the same axis, and including an adjustable resiliently cushioned latch, and a resiliently cushioned coupling member carried by the drum in a position to be engaged by the latch in one position of latch adjustment.

3. The combination With an oscillatory washing drum, of an oscillatory actuator adapted to swing upon the same axis, and including an adjustable resiliently cushioned latch, and a resiliently cushioned coupling member carried by the drum in a position to be engaged by the latch in one osition of latch adjustment, said latch bemg adapted for sliding engagement with the coupling member fromeither side thereof toward its position of coupling engagement. Y

4. The combination with an oscillatory washing drum, of an oscillatory actuator adapted to swing upon the same axis, and

including an adjustable resiliently cushcoupling member connected with the drum,

a set of latches, and means for alternatively adjusting them in position for engagement with the coupling member, said ad usting means being adapted to hold one latch out of engaging position when the other is in such position.

6. The combination with an oscillatory drum, of a resiliently mounted coupling member thereon, relatively fixed and traveling latches, each adapted to engage and disengage the coupling member and means for adjusting the latches alternatively into and out of en aging position:

7. The com ination with an oscillatory drum, of a resiliently mounted coupling member thereon, relatively fixed and traveling latches, each adapted to engage and disengage the coupling member and means for adjusting the latches alternatively into and out of enga ing position, the traveling latch being provided with means for effecting a loose engagement with the coupling member permitting limited relative movements, followed by a close fitting engagement during the initial portion of a reverse oscillation of the drum.

8. The combination with an oscillatory washing drum of a con ling member car ried thereby, and an a justable traveling latch adapted in one position to interlock with the coupling member, said latch having an elongated interlocking notch provided with a central recess in which a portion of the coupling member may engage, after first entering the elongated portion of the notch.

9. The combination with an oscillatory washing drum of a coupling member carried thereby, and an adjustable traveling latch adapted in one position to interlock with the coupling member, said latch having an elongated interlocking notch provided with a central recess in which a portion of the coupling member may engage, after first entering t e elongated portion of the notch, and said latch being pivotally connected with a rocking actuating member.

10. The combination with an oscillatory washing drum of a coupling member carried thereby, and an adjustable traveling latch adapted in one position to interlock with the coupling member, said latch being pivotally connected with a rocking actuating member and also provided with adjustably retractive means for resiliently pressing it in the direction of the coupling member.

11. A washing machine including the combination with an oscillatory clothes receptacle, a rotatable driving element, recip rocatory power transmitting connections adapted to oscillate said receptacle and connected with said rotatable element for continuous movement during the operation thereof, and means for breaking and establishing a yieldable connection between said power transmitting mechanism and said receptacle.

'12. In a washing machine, the combination with an oscillatory clothes receptacle, of a driving element mounted for oscillation co-axially therewith, means for oscillating said driving element, and a clutch engageable for the actuation of said re ceptacle in syrchronism with the oscillation of said element, said clutch being engaged at a point remote from said axis of oscillation whereby the inertia of said receptacle is opposed with moment.

13. In a washing machine, the combination with an oscillatory clothes receptacle, of a driving element oscillatory co-axially therewith, means for actuating said element, a clutch engageable to connect said element operatively to said receptacle, said clutch being disposed at a point radially remote from the center of oscillation thereof, and resiliently yieldable means interposed between said clutch and said receptacle.

14. A washing machine including the combination with a machine frame and a clothes receptacle mounted thereon for oscilin the presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN W. KRAHN. Witnesses:

O. C. WEBER, A. J. MCKERIHAN. 

